Tag: mentors

Young Edinburgh changemakers celebrated for driving positive community impact

YMCA Edinburgh recognised at global summit for creating leadership opportunities for young people driving community change

Eleven-year-olds Edie Chaw and Tarek Hydara Estribio are being celebrated by YMCA Edinburgh after showcasing that you don’t have to be an adult to drive real change. Both are residents of Cables Wynd House in Leith and active members of youth-led advocacy groups supported by the charity, and they are leading the charge in helping develop their neighbourhood for the better.

Edie and Tarek are active participants in several of YMCA Edinburgh’s initiatives, including The Cables Wynd House Youth Residents Forum, a youth-led advocacy group where they held consultations with their peers and collaborated with adult residents and Making Rights Real to present a comprehensive housing report to the City of Edinburgh Council. As part of the initiative they were also consulted on public space improvements.

Edie and Tarek are also involved in The Next Generation Youth Forum, a programme focused on empowering the next generation of changemakers. They also work on local green space projects, sustainable food and composting workshops, and creative community awareness programs like climate-themed banner workshops as part of their involvement in the Climate Change Group.

The success of these youth-led initiatives by YMCA Edinburgh was recently recognised on the global stage.

At the 2026 YMCA World Council in Toronto, Mike Kerracher, Chief Executive Officer of YMCA Edinburgh, represented the organisation alongside international leaders and Felipe Paullier, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs.

Speaking on a panel, the event had 1,400 representatives from over 120 countries, Kerracher showcased how organisations can move beyond merely consulting young people to actively creating genuine opportunities for them to lead.

Now, YMCA Edinburgh is launching a renewed call to create these leadership opportunities locally and nationally, emphasising that youth are ready to drive real community change if given the chance.

Mike Kerracher, CEO of YMCA Edinburgh, said: “Edie and Tarek are fantastic examples of what happens when young people are empowered to take the lead.

“True community change happens when we stop making decisions for young people and start making decisions with them, when we give them a genuine seat at the table and invest in their ideas, they shine.”

Edie Chaw, 11, said: “Sometimes people think only grown-ups know how to fix things, but kids see the neighbourhood differently.

“When you don’t only ask adults, but also ask what kids want, and when everyone actually listens to each other we can come together and combine our ideas to create something everyone wants.”

Tarek Hydara Estribio, 11, added: “Being part of these projects helps me learn how to communicate, work as a team, and socialise with lots of different people.

“It’s given us a real chance to speak up because we just want to be heard, and it feels great to know we’re actually helping to make things better.”

This international recognition follows a highly successful year for YMCA Edinburgh, which supported over 250 individuals across its services. Mentorship remains a cornerstone of the organisation’s success.

Over the last year, 39 dedicated volunteer mentors provided vital one-to-one support to 59 young people. As a result, 98% of participants reported improved access to opportunities and 94% experienced enhanced wellbeing.

Alongside these programmes, the organisation successfully delivered seven weeks of free holiday activities, expanding sports, outdoor learning, and wellbeing support for local families.

YMCA Edinburgh is committed to creating even more opportunities for young people to lead, influence decisions, and shape the future of their communities.

Young people who want to make a difference are encouraged to get in touch to find out more about the Next Generation Youth Forum and other participation opportunities. The organisation is also keen to hear from adults interested in volunteering as mentors, collaborating with young people around meaningful climate action in the local community, or supporting its wider work. 

Whether through mentoring, partnership, fundraising, or simply encouraging a young person to get involved, everyone has a role to play in empowering the next generation. To find out more, email admin@ymcaedinburgh.com. 

Top university for student mentoring launches innovative fresh take

Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh has launched another pioneering mentorship project with a novel twist that will better prepare students for the world of work. 

To build upon the success of its inaugural QMU Employer Mentoring Programme, QMU has developed the Rotational Leadership Mentoring Programme (ROME) – the first of its kind in the education sector. This has been designed to give students the opportunity to understand the various industries and career paths available to them by pairing them with four expert mentors. 

In this new rotational set-up, students from 2nd year and above can meet with each of their four mentors to focus on a key skill required for that specific role or industry. This means that students can concentrate on key areas with different specialists, such as analytical skills, critical thinking, decision making, team building, and other leadership skills. 

Mentors already enrolled for the upcoming year include professionals working across all sectors, including those in the NHS, The Scottish Government, the IHG Hotel group and Dakota Hotels. QMU’s own Principal, Sir Paul Grice, has also been named as a mentor for this year.  

Juan Garcia, Employability and Development Advisor at QMU, who is the brainchild behind the innovative mentoring programme, explained: “The idea of rotating mentors is completely new to the higher education sector, and something I was keen to drive forward to ensure our students have the best chance to develop their employability skills and learn from different industry experts. 

“What also makes this so unique is that most mentorship programmes aren’t available to students until their 4th year. We wanted to make this available to our students from as early as their 2nd year to give them the best head start. It is vital that we continue to adapt and develop our career programmes to keep up with the ever-changing needs of our students, so they feel really well equipped to step into the world of work. 

“We want students and graduates to have the confidence, skillset and knowledge to hit the ground running.  Input from good mentors can help to give students excellent industry insights that will give them the edge, allowing them to stand out in the crowd. They can also help direct them into key areas and open doors to other work opportunities.” 

Graeme Cleland, Business Development Manager at law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn and one of this year’s mentors, said: “It’s fantastic to see QMU developing new ways to extend the proven benefits of mentoring programmes to even more students.

“This programme will allow mentees to progress faster by drawing on the experience and contacts from their mentor, learn how to navigate entering their chosen field, and understand what skills they should focus on developing. 

“Mentors involved also benefit too. As well as lending a helping hand to those aspiring to build a career, they also learn a lot from mentees about what the next generation of colleagues are looking for in the workplace, which can be taken back into their business.” 

QMU’s mentoring schemes are distinctive from other university mentoring schemes in that they are particularly student driven and internationally recognised. The University aims to deliver what students really need and want, as well as ensure students develop the skills that employers are looking for.  

The award-winning and accredited QMU Employer Mentoring Programme, which was established in 2013, was created with the aim of increasing student confidence and developing excellent industry links and job opportunities. Since its inception, the programme has provided over 500 students with expert mentorship from across a huge variety of sectors and professions.  

Adrian Crichton, a graduate of QMU who took part in the mentorship programme when he was a student, is now returning to be a mentor in the rotational project. Adrian, who graduated from QMU in 2019 with a BA (Hons) in PR, Marketing and Events, is now the Director of Business Planning and Strategy within the Global Strategy and Enablement team at American Express. 

The pilot Rotational Leadership Mentoring Programme will be open to QMU students for two weeks from the 16th September 2024. 

Find out more on our website – https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/services-for-students/careers-and-employability/careers-and-employability/employer-mentoring/